I have a shell script which basically starts openarena in screen. That way I don't have to be logged on for the server to still be alive. I am running arch linux on a headless server. This is my script:

If you want some more information I can tell you my whole process (and some useful tools), but if you already know what you're doing I don't want to waste your time. I would just recommend creating a couple of automation shell scripts for starting the server nicely and with specific configs. I would also recommend putting all your maps and mods in a folder in ~ called .openarena This way you can migrate your server if the worst happens.

Happy Gaming

EDIT: You might next time consider putting similar posts under "Technical Snafus"